Laura Zbinden
Expertise
Street Food, Chinese Cuisine, Indian Spices
- From 2015 to 2022, Laura traveled all over Asia sampling street food and local cuisines.
- Hot sauce, spicy food, and Sichuan-numbing peppercorns are some of Laura's favorite things.
- Laura spent a lot of time in Indian kitchens and spice markets learning the secrets of South Asian home cooking.
Experience
Laura has always been passionate about travel and learning about new cultures through food. She has traveled all over Asia trying as much street food as possible from chicken satay in Thailand to putchas in India. She lived in China for eight years, where she spent her time eating dumplings and noodles and developing a taste for all things spicy. The weirdest things she's eaten include Chinese 100-year-old eggs, pig's brain, and horse meat noodle soup.
Education
Laura has a bachelor's degree in international business and management from Drake University. She also speaks conversational Mandarin Chinese and beginner Hindi.
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Stories By Laura Zbinden
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Think deep-dish pizza or hot dogs are are the best food Chicago has to offer? Think again. In the Windy City, Italian beef reigns supreme, and for good reason.
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If you're an Olive Garden customers who loves this after-dinner tradition, you'll be happy to learn that getting a few extra Andes mints is surprisingly simple.
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This simple trick allows you to make delicious chocolate fondue straight from your crockpot without getting things too messy. Here's how it works.
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Nothing is worse than finding out the egg you cooked is glued to the bottom of the pan, and then having to try and scrape it off that pan with a spatula.
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Apparently, the cookies and milk tradition began as a way to show children to be grateful and give thanks for the gifts they would receive on Christmas.
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There are so many wonderful and heartwarming stews to enjoy from all over the world. Here's what to know about ropa vieja and what makes it unique.
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Standard whipped cream can be great as is, but when you want to take it in a festively autumnal direction, fold in some canned pumpkin puree.
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Aldi proudly displays its new items in each store. The November Aldi Finds are cozy wintertime favorites that will satisfy your winter holiday sweet tooth.
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When the weather gets a bit cooler, it's extra important to follow this simple step before throwing your salmon on the grill. Here are our salmon grilling tips.
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If you have trouble battling the freshness seal on your coffee creamer, you'll want to know all about this clever hack that simplifies opening it.
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While frittatas are quite versatile when it comes to ingredients, the pan you use to cook a frittata is more limited and can make all the difference.
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When you've got excess yogurt that you need to use up, all it takes is a little ingenuity to turn it into some truly crave-worthy flatbread.
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If you love using your stoneware, you'll look for any reason to bust it out. But what about when it gets dirty? Here's how to effectively clean your stoneware.
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Cherries are one of the best fruits to cook with, but pitting them can be a tedious drag. If you're looking to prep these fruits fast, bust out your funnel.
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Ringing in at $200, the Thanksgiving meal kit serves around eight people and includes classic desserts like a whole apple pie and the fan-favorite pumpkin pie.
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Besides the return of the holiday sprinkle donut, which returns on November 29, there will reportedly be several new food items hitting stores.
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The cookbook, "Extra Helpings: Inspiring Stories and Imaginative Recipes from Chick-fil-A's Shared Table," will be available for free online.
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When you're ready to truly elevate your pulled pork sandwich, look no further than the simple-yet-flavorful fried egg. You might be surprised by the results.
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Hard shell tacos are beloved for a reason, but making them can be a bit of a hassle. Thankfully you only need a fork to fill your tacos with ease.
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When you're looking to take your cookies to the next level of deliciousness, there's one boozy ingredient in particular that works like a charm.
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Everyone loves Mott's line of fruit products. It's exciting to announce Mott’s Snacks & Stories Mobile Library's special offer to encourage kids to read.
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Honeynut squash was made by crossing buttercup and butternut squash; it's a smaller and sweeter version of its parent gourds. So, how do you cook it?
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Garlic is a ubiquitous ingredient, but peeling it can often be a chore. Luckily, there's a hack to make it more manageable and all you need is a microwave.
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When you're looking to make the tastiest pumpkin pie, consider taking food writing icon Ruth Reichl's advice and paying special attention to this component.
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If you've ever tried to perfect a soup recipe but can't get it to the creamy consistency you want, try this ingredient hack to effortlessly thicken it.
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Popeyes' Cajun turkeys are precooked - all you have to do is thaw the bird and pop it in the oven to reheat for a perfectly cooked and juicy turkey.
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Whether you're driving to distant relatives or need to fuel up for hosting at home, you may be wondering if Starbucks is open on Thanksgiving. Here's the facts.